Commercial, Solar, Sourcing Renewables  -  August 12, 2019

Ralphs adds solar to 555,000-sq.ft. distribution center

Ralphs, a subsidiary of The Kroger Co., announced the installation of a photovoltaic solar power array at its automated distribution center in Paramount, Calif., a 555,000-square-foot building that provides products to 190 Ralphs stores and 95 Food 4 Less stores throughout Southern California.

This is the largest solar energy project to date for Kroger, featuring more than 7,000 solar panels, according to a statement from the company. The new installation has a 2 MW AC capacity and will generate 4.28 million kWh of clean power for the facility each year, representing approximately 50% of the facility's total electricity needs.

"Ralphs is constantly exploring energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy options that are respectful to our environment and the communities we serve," said Mike Murphy, president at Ralphs, in a statement. "These sustainability investments demonstrate to our customers and other valued stakeholders our commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen."

The company's supply chain team partnered with Affordable Solar on the installation with support from Southern California Edison and the City of Paramount.

The Ralphs distribution center solar installation in Paramount is one of three at Kroger's supply chain facilities, with earlier installations completed at the Fred Meyer distribution center in Clackamas, Oregon and the Smith's Food and Drug distribution center in Layton, Utah. Kroger has also installed solar power arrays at multiple stores. In 2018, Kroger's wind and solar installations combined produced more than 14.59 million kWh of renewable power.

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